Bayne Finishes 15th in First Sprint All-Star Start

With 10 laps to go, Trevor Bayne and the crew of the No. 21 Good Sam/Camping World Ford Fusion had themselves in position for a strong finish in the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday. Despite a loss of side force, due to a brush with the wall at the end of the second of four 20-lap segments, Bayne lined up eighth for the 10-lap run to the checkered flag. However, the drivers in the outside line in front of him were slow to get going on the restart, and any hopes he had of earning a top-10 finish disappeared at that point.

Still, he brought the No. 21 Ford Fusion home in 15th place in his first appearance in NASCAR’s All-Star Race.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood said there were lots of positives from the weekend. “The pit crew had great stops all week, from Thursday night’s pit crew competition through qualifying and the race,” he said. “Trevor did a nice job of recovering from a brush with the wall, and it was good to get to carry the Good Sam/Camping World colors after not being able to here last year.”

Bayne and the Wood Brothers were set to run the All-Star race for Good Sam last year, but Bayne was recovering from an illness and unable to compete.

“On behalf of my brother Len and myself, I’d like to thank Marcus Lemonis of Good Sam and Camping World for returning to the All-Star Race with us this year,” Wood said. “I wish we’d had a better finish for him, but we have three more races with him later this season, and we look forward to making it up to him.”

Bayne and the No. 21 Wood Brothers crew will be sponsored by Good Sam and Camping World in Sprint Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 2, Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 16 and Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 13, but will return to their familiar Motorcraft/Quick Lane colors for next Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Bayne said his experiences in the All-Star Race should pay dividends the next time out.

“We learned a lot for the 600 and that’s the biggest benefit,” he said. “I wish we would have gotten a better run here, but that’s alright.

“We’ll figure it for next time and work on it. I’m just happy we got the opportunity to run it. Last year, I was sitting in the hospital, so I’m glad I got to come out here and make some laps and get some more seat time, but it’s not the finish we were looking for tonight.”